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The Gender Question: Unpacking

My Pronouns

H. Bradford

10/21/18

Wednesday October 17th was the first International Gender Pronouns Day. The goal of the day is to raise awareness of gender pronouns, including referring to people by their preferred pronouns and normalizing asking about the pronouns. In activist circles, this is increasingly becoming commonplace. Recently, both of my workplaces asked me for my preferred gender pronouns. But, I can remember just a few years ago when I was asked for the first time to publicly announce my pronouns. This is a reflection of how I felt and my own gender journey.

The first meeting that I was asked to use my preferred gender pronouns caught me off guard. I felt afraid and unsure of what to say. I knew what the expected answer was…she/her/hers….and I felt afraid to say anything but the pronouns that would match my outward appearance. I didn’t answer at all. Meeting after meeting, I didn’t answer. I dreaded when it was my turn to share. I would simply say my name and something else (for instance what group I was in or why I was there), avoiding the question or trying to bury the question in other information. Only a few times was I called out. “Oh, you forgot to share your pronouns!” I wanted the question to go away. It seemed like some hokey, liberal trend to be inclusive- but really, it felt like an interrogation into the walled up parts of myself. I have wrestled with gender identity, but came to no conclusions or worse, no plan of action. Thus, I have slid through life avoiding the question and relegating it to some condemned, musty, walled off part of myself that could be attended to when I had the time, courage, or emotional safety. The “gender question” asked at activist meetings forced it out of the dark corner that I had been avoiding. I resented that. No one shines a light in my haunted house!

Mn State Fair Haunted House

For some context, I have felt alienated by my femaleness. It started sometime around the 5th grade. I didn’t want to grow up to be female…or the “w” word. I didn’t want breasts or a period. I didn’t want curves or for people to see me as a woman. I didn’t want to become…such an alien thing. It is a feeling that has hung around. I could provide more details or examples, as often creating a narrative of lifelong questioning is necessary for legitimacy. But, I don’t care to and legitimacy does not have to be rooted in history and long stories. In any event, despite feeling un-female, I wondered what alternative existed for me. What else could I be and how could I become it? Despite these feelings, I have generally presented myself in a feminine way (to some degree), with makeup, shaved body, and long hair. Thus, to question or feel disgusted by and alien from my body and biological/social lot seemed disingenuous. Worse, when I have talked to some people close to me over the years, the reactions have been that I must be mentally ill or just trying to be trendy….because gender dysphoria is cool. This left me feeling a bit lost and defeated. By my 30s I tried not to think too deeply about it. That is…until that pesky question kept coming up!

I started to test out answers. Mostly, when it came up, I said I go by she/her/hers and they/them/theirs. No one cared. The question moved on to the next person. This was nice and gave me more confidence. No one stopped the whole thing and said, “Wait! You are NOT they, them, theirs…. you are just trying to be trendy here! Call the gender police.” Or, “They, them, theirs is for MORE androgynous looking people. Clearly you wear makeup and have long hair. You are not constructing gender properly.” In the few instances where I felt that I needed to give an explanation, I said that I was gender questioning. By cautiously answering…but being met with zero reaction or questioning, I began to feel more comfortable. These questions felt invasive and loaded at first, but it turned out it was not an inquisition.

What am I? I feel weird calling myself a woman. It just seemed so…not me. It seems like a special title reserved for some other people. I didn’t ask for this body. There are parts of it I would be happy to be rid of. At the same time, I think she/her/hers is appropriate for me. Despite how I might feel about myself, the world sees me as female. I am treated like a woman. Each time I fear for my safety or am treated as “less than” a man, I am living a female experience in a female body (I don’t mean this to reify biological gender, but as a shared experience of oppression). I feel safer in female spaces than in spaces dominated by men and I feel like I do not behave or present in a fashion that is gender queer enough for trans or non-binary spaces. I present myself in a “feminine” way. I have been subjected to and subjugated by female gender norms. I fear aging. I fear becoming too ugly or too fat. My presentation of self is still very much governed by patriarchal gender norms for women. At the same time, gender is socially constructed. There is no feminine. Long hair and makeup can be masculine, androgynous, feminine, or really anything or nothing at all. Despite the arbitrary nature of these rules, my presentation has social meaning that is associated with femaleness. I could reject this, but there is no real way to reject this as reconstructing gender usually hinges upon gender tropes. Binary gender is such a part of our cognitive landscape that it is hard to escape. Inevitably, it depends upon rejecting what is viewed as masculine, feminine, mixing up these characteristics, or inventing something androgynous (which is often stereotyped as thin and skewed towards masculine). She/her/hers is also useful in showing solidarity with women. I am a feminist. Maybe I don’t always feel like a woman, but I live in this world perceived and treated as one. I experience oppression as a woman and she/her/hers can be useful gender shorthand for these experiences and my solidarity with those who also experience this.

Although I am she/her/hers….I am also not these things. It feels like gender is Schroedinger’s cat, which both IS and ISN’T. Both things exist in the box that is myself. I am female in body and experience, but also not these things, both because there is no female body and universal female experience and because I feel alien from the female parts of me (whatever those may be). This is hard to explain. To address the first aspect of my non-femaleness, well, femaleness does not really exist. What is female? Breasts, certain hormones, certain chromosomes, vaginas, or other biological characteristics? Some females have some of these characteristics and not others, have all of these to varying degrees, or have some of these in some parts of life and not in others. I have some biological markers of being female, but I do not necessarily want them, and being female is more than just biological rules and boundaries (which are themselves socially determined). I would be happy to not have breasts, for instance. I have always hated them. I am actually really happy that mine are small, since I really don’t want these female associated appendages hanging off my body. They serve no purpose in my life. I have no intention of breast feeding, which seems like a body horror, nor enjoy their utility in sexual attraction. Yes, I called it a body horror. I feel that chest feeding can be wonderful and nourishing for OTHERS who are not alienated by their bodies, but to me existing in this body, the very thought of it seems like a torturous humiliation. In this sense, and others that I won’t share, I am very much not a woman.

Femaleness is also related to gender roles, expected behaviors, and social position. Where do I fit in to that? Sure, I think that I am “feminine”, but I think that this is one facet of who I am and more or less just a part of the full constellation of human traits that everyone shares to varying degrees. I am not “feminine” in some ways, in that I don’t necessarily follow female gender roles. I am not particularly nurturing, not at all motherly or maternal, am emotionally reserved, not much for traditional roles of care giving and cleaning, independent and self-reliant, not romantic, generally more rational and scientific than spiritual or emotional, etc. Once again, these are characteristics that get divied up between masculine and feminine, but are not inherently either. Still, I think that bodily, emotionally, and socially, I have traits that I feel are masculine, feminine, and androgynous. I don’t feel a close affinity with my femaleness, but I don’t entirely reject it either. Thus, I really like they, them, their as gender pronouns. I also like to go by H. as well as Heather, since I think it represents my non-binary self. Heather is very feminine in our society. I used to hate my name because of it. However, I am trying to accept that Heather is just a plant. It is a flower that grows in rocky, boggy conditions- with no innate femininity, masculinity, or androgyny. The sound of the word Heather is not feminine, as people in other countries have similar sounding names which are pegged as masculine- such as Hadir in Arabic speaking countries. I can be Heather and not necessarily be feminine. But, I do enjoy when friends call me H.

Gender is complicated. I don’t have the answers. I consider myself gender questioning because I haven’t arrived at my final destination. I don’t know that I will. There may be times in my life that I embrace my femaleness more. Other times, it may be a source of pain and humiliation. I haven’t always enjoyed getting asked what my pronouns are, but at the very least, I am starting to feel more confident. At this point, I feel confident enough to say that yes, there is a they, them, their part of myself. It doesn’t matter if I don’t look or behave in a non-binary way or reject gender enough. I don’t need to be legitimate in anyone else’s eyes. It is gender that is illegitimate, not me. Even if my feelings ARE the result of being trendy or mentally ill, why stigmatize either? Traditional concepts of gender (and sex) benefit no one but those at the top of our patriarchal, capitalist economic system. As my life progresses, perhaps I will feel bolder and ask to be H. or they, them, their more often. Perhaps not. For now, this is where I am at. Thanks for asking.

A Review of Three Minnesota National Wildlife Refuges

H. Bradford

7/29/18

This past weekend (+Monday and Tuesday), I visited three state parks as part of my goal to see all of the state parks in Minnesota. As it happens, all three state parks were not terribly far from National Wildlife Refuges. Thus, I also visited three National Wildlife Refuges during my mini-vacation. National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) are administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service for the purpose of conserving…well, wildlife! I will admit that I am not as familiar with NWRs as I am with state or national parks. From my limited experience, it seems that NWRs that I have been to differ from state parks in that they typically do not charge a fee or requite a sticker. At the same time, camping is not typically allowed and there are fewer amenities, programs, and regular staffing. They also seem less busy or tourist oriented than state or national parks. On the other hand, some allow hunting and trapping, which is not always allowed at state parks. My general impression is that NWRs are less family and tourist friendly, but great for bird/wildlife watching and a variety of independent outdoor activities. There are 13 NWRs in Minnesota, which are among the 550 spread across the United States. This is a review of three of them.

Sherburne NWR:

Sherburne NWR is located near Zimmerman, MN and about a half an hour south-east of St. Cloud, MN. I visited the refuge with my brother as a Saturday excursion during my weekend visit. The park contains oak savanna, wetlands, and prairie ecosystems and offers hiking, but also a wildlife drive and opportunities for fishing and hunting. My brother and I mostly partook in the wildlife drive, which provides a few opportunities to stop for short hikes. The primary purpose of the visit was birding.

The wildlife drive took us through a variety of landscapes, including the three mentioned on the website: prairie, wetland, and oak savanna. We took a short hike in the prairie area, which unlike the state parks I had visited over the weekend, was devoid of bothersome insects. While it seems that woodland wildflowers peak in the early spring, the prairie wildflowers were in full bloom, creating colorful fields of orange and yellow. As for birding, the park has several species of sparrows which are not regularly seen in Northern Minnesota, where I live. For instance, during our short hike, I heard a Field sparrow. The song is very distinct, even though I have never seen or heard one before. I imagine that it is the sound of a Frisbee being thrown or a UFO taking off. There were also many grasshopper sparrows, another sparrow that I hadn’t seen before. They have an insect like song that sounds like a cross between a buzz and a hiss. Over twenty species of sparrows can be found in the wildlife refuge, so it seems like a great place to visit to see sparrows (even if I only saw a few species).

The wildlife drive follows along some lakes, where trumpeter swans, double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, and various ducks can be seen. For me, a highlight of these area was seeing black terns, which are another new bird for me. I was unable to photograph them, as they zip along pretty quickly. They don’t range near Duluth, but are found in other parts of Minnesota in prairie or prairie transition areas. Another highlight was hearing a Least bittern in a ditch by the lake, though I did not see the bird hidden in the thick vegetation. I am not a great birder, so I would suggest that less skilled birders (like myself) review bird song/calls before heading to the park. It definitely helps with sparrow identification (as they all look pretty plain and brown) and for hard to spot birds. I listened to a bird CD in my car on the way to Lake Maria State Park from Duluth (a three hour drive) so a few vocalizations were fresh in my head.

The only buggy area was on the north-west end of the lake, where there was a small oak forests and trail. We were too mosquito bitten to venture far, but we did see a red bellied woodpecker. This was a new woodpecker species for me and one that I later saw more of at Charles Lindbergh State Park and Crane Meadows NWR. As a whole, I would say that the park offered great birding opportunities. I would definitely return to see more sparrows and to view the Sandhill cranes which migrate through the refuge in large numbers each fall. I like that the park offered a wide variety of ecosystems and a wildlife drive. While we didn’t do much hiking, I would like to return to try out the trails. The park was surprisingly busy, with several vehicles slowly moving along the wildlife drive, also trying to spy on birds. There isn’t much room for passing, so, be prepared to take it slow and follow the caravan of wildlife enthusiasts! The refuge is about 30 minutes drive away from Lake Maria State Park, so both could be visited in the same day (though I visited them over the course of two days).

Crane Meadows NWR:

Crane Meadows NWR is only fifteen minutes away from Charles Lindbergh State Park and only about ten minutes away from Little Falls. This makes it very accessible and very easy to take in along with Charles Lindbergh State Park. The NWR was a welcome reprieve from the mosquito swarms that characterized Charles Lindbergh State Park. Crane Meadows NWR was bright and sunny, and although the trails followed along the Platte River, the wildlife area lacked the deer flies and mosquitoes that plagued my other outdoor adventures over the weekend. Crane Meadows is only 2000 acres (compared to over 30,000 for Sherburne NWR) and does not have a wildlife drive. Instead, it offers a few looped trails along the Platte River to Rice Lake. The longest loop is just under four miles. I hiked this loop, which was the best hike of the weekend because 1.) it wasn’t buggy. 2.) There was an abundance of birds. 3.) The trail passes a variety of ecosystems, such as oak savanna, tall grass prairie, sedge meadow wetland, and more! The trail can only be used for hiking, so horses and bicycles are not allowed. Perhaps owing to the length and limited use, I did not see any other people on the trail.

As I already mentioned, the hike was very enjoyable, with easy terrain and a variety of habitats in one relatively small area. I did not see as many birds as I did at Sherburne, but I also covered a smaller area. There were some noteworthy birds on the hike, including a great crested flycatcher, another new bird for my list. The yellow, gray, and rusty orange bird is easy to identify (which is not true of most flycatchers, which look pretty similar in their variations of pale yellow, olive, and gray plumage.) Another highlight was a few red headed woodpeckers, which I have not seen in Minnesota before. I also saw red breasted woodpeckers and a swamp sparrow. Other sparrows included song sparrows and chipping sparrows, both of which are pretty common in Duluth. The martin house was busy and there were also many barn swallows.

Like Sherburne NWR, I would definitely visit Crane Meadows again. The leisurely hike and variety of birds made for a great way to spend an afternoon. I would say that the main downside of the NWR is a lack of amenities. There are no toilets on the trails, but there is a port-a-potty at the parking area. On the other hand, there was hardly anyone at the NWR, so that was a plus. As a whole, it is a nice, compact wildlife area with easy access to Little Falls.

Rice Lake NWR:

The final NWR that I visited was Rice Lake NWR, near McGregor, MN. I have visited this area many times, but couldn’t resist making a pit stop on my way home to Duluth. Of the three, this NWR has the widest variety of things to do. There is a wildlife drive, which I have done many times. There is an observation deck and several hiking trails. The NWR also features Native American and Civilian Conservation Corps history. Native Americans continue to use the wildlife area for harvesting wild rice and maple syrup. In fact, Native Americans have used the park since at least 1000 BC and there are burial mounds within the refuge. Each time I visit, there are usually at least a few people fishing, which seems to be the most popular activity. Rice Lake NWR is rich in waterfowl and each spring and fall during migrations. In fact, the area holds the state record for the most waterfowl seen in one place at one time, when a million ring necked ducks were observed in 1994. Like the other two parks, there is a wide variety of sparrows that can also be seen, including the rare LaConte’s Sparrow (which I have not seen).

Where the wild rice grows…

In addition to the hiking trails, wildlife drive, fishing, birding, and Native American history/use, this NWR generally has pretty good amenities (at least compared to the other two refuges). There are several toilets or port-a-poties spread throughout the refuge as well as two picnic areas. There is no running water, however. The refuge itself features mixed forests, lakes, and bogs. Because it is a very wet environment, there are always lots of insects! Of the three refuges, this was the worst, with swarms of deer flies AND mosquitoes. I have never successfully hiked in this refuge since these attempts are almost always thwarted by voracious insects. Even an open window during the wildlife drive attracted unwanted deer flies into my vehicle.

National Wildlife Refuges are a different experience than state and national parks. While they may not be as full of tourists, activities, and amenities, they are great places to spend a day taking in nature. All three of these locations are relaxing, tranquil, and great for birding. All three are places that I would visit again. There are only 13 of these gems in Minnesota, and only 12 can be visited! I will definitely be visiting other NWRs in the future and hopefully you will be inspired to visit them as well!

Another Birthday Month

H. Bradford

2/28/18

Well, February is ending. This means that my favorite month is almost over! I feel a little sad, as usually I meet February with such enthusiasm. I often have a long “to do” list of birthday activities. This month, I have found myself feeling sluggish, with less zeal for living. There were some days that I felt downright depressed. However, I still did my best to make the most of the month and celebrate my birthday in smaller ways. This is fine. Sometimes a celebration can look more like hibernation and the best gift is solitude and sleep. With that said, it was a pretty low key birthday month. Here are some of the highlights….

Sax Zim Birding Days:

On February 3rd, I braved the slippery roads and headed to the Sax Zim Bog to do some birding. I was even able to convince Adam to come along with me. Although the day was probably a bit long for him, I had a fun time. We drove around and visited several bird feeders. I even saw two new species of birds: snow buntings and Bohemian Waxwings. I almost missed the Bohemian Waxwings, but happened to turn my binoculars to a tree. I assume at first that they were Cedar Waxwings. The two birds look pretty similar. However, I grabbed my bird guide and was pleasantly surprised to see that the birds had a rusty coloration under their tails. This meant that they were Bohemian Waxwings. There are only three species of waxwings in the world (the other is the Japanese Waxwing). There is always something magical about identifying a new species of bird for the first time. There are many birds that I will confuse or forget, but I think I will always remember the plump and rusty Bohemian Waxwing. As for snowbuntings, I have seen these birds before- but not since I began birding a few years ago. So, they were a target species this year. I have driven around looking for them throughout the winter, but finally spotted a huge flock of them. They were too quick and white to photograph (as they blended into the field pretty well).

The birds were pretty far away so the photo quality is not awesome.

On February 5th, I returned to the bog alone and added two more birds that day. I was fortunate enough to find that a flock of Sharp-tailed grouse were active in the early morning. Later in the day, I moved on to Virginia, where I found a lone Canvasback duck. Both were new to the list. I also believe that I saw a Boreal owl as I was driving through Cotton, but I did not have time to stop as I was on a main highway. Thus, I was unable to add that bird to my list.

Since those dates, I have done some birding elsewhere, but have been unable to find any new species of birds. I have been trying to spot a long tailed duck and a spruce grouse- haunting HWY 2 and Agate Bay in Two Harbors. My field trips have yielded nothing, but with some days off in the near future- perhaps I will find them. Of course, birding isn’t about adding new birds to a list. This is “listing.” There is joy in seeing familiar birds and becoming better at identifying what is already known. But, as a person who likes lists and obtains a sense of accomplishment from setting goals- adding to the list motivates me to go out more often. This weekend, I will make my final winter visit to the bog when I go snowshoeing there with my mother. This is how we celebrated my birthday last year (even though this runs into March…escaping the neat borders of my birthday month).

Bird Feeders:

One of the outcomes of visiting the Sax Zim Bog on February 3rd with Adam was that we were both impressed with how people living in the bog area set up public bird feeders. These individuals welcome people to view birds on their property. Feeders such as Mary Lou’s and Loretta’s attract both birds, but also large groups of strangers. It is inspiring to see people open up their yards to strangers. They also invest a lot of their time and money into maintaining these feeders which benefit both birds and people. I wish that more communities broke down the barriers between private and common spaces. This is something that the Solidarity House tries to do by offering a free garden, free books, as well as a variety of free goods on our porch. After we returned from the bog, we decided to set up more bird feeders in our front yard. I purchased two feeders and Adam purchased one. I also bought some more suet.

Our efforts have regularly attracted birds to the yard. Although we do not have a huge diversity of species in our small yard, we regularly have several cardinals visit the feeders. I have also seen black capped chickadees, a white throated sparrow, white breasted nuthatches, a downy woodpecker, and dark eyed juncos in the yard. I enjoy looking out the window and watching these birds. While this isn’t an elaborate way to spend my birthday month, I will say that I have enjoyed my quiet moments at the window. Holly, my roommate Elizabeth’s cat, also enjoys these moments.

Owl Tattoo:

Another bird related highlight of the month was getting a new tattoo. I reached my 300th bird in February, so I decided to get a new tattoo. I determined that the new tattoo would be a snowy owl, as this was the first bird that I saw in 2018 and the last one I saw in 2017. It has been an irruption year for snowy owls, so there have been more than usual in my area. I had not seen one before this year, so seeing them several times this winter has been special. I felt that the snowy owl was a good choice since it represents this year (due to more being around) and winter in general. I also thought that the white contrasted well with the black of my raven tattoo. Although the birds have different shapes, I wanted two birds that at least had a sort of imperfect symmetry with one another.

Painting:

Another activity that I have engaged in this month is painting. I have no training in painting or in art in general, but I have always liked creating art from time to time. This month, I wanted to create a piece of art for an upcoming feminist art show called WTF! So, I created a painting about how capitalism depends upon the bodies of women to function. It is a little graphic, but it is meant to convey the idea that the reproductive power of women is used to create the next generation of workers. Of course, the unpaid care work done by women also ensures the continuation of the working class. The art show will begin on March 8th and it is my first time participating in a public art show! The same day that I painted that piece, I also painted the windows of the Solidarity House to look like a forest. I had promised Adam that I would do this a long time ago, but forgot all about it until recently. We had several ovenbirds crash against the window and die last fall. By painting the windows with a scene, we thought we might break up the empty space and prevent bird fatalities next year. Additionally, I am trying to create a second painting for another feminist art show at UW-Superior. The piece will also have a labor and feminism theme. Finally, Jenny wants me to create a painting for an auction that Critter Harbor is hosting. Critter Harbor is an organization that traps and neuters feral cats. These cats are returned to the outdoors, but are provided with food and water. Some may be rehabilitated and adopted. I think this is all exciting, since it pushes me out of my comfort zone. I know I am not a great artist. I know I have a lot of room to improve. However, I think that I should not be limited by self-doubt or imperfection. If I want to paint, I should paint- skill or no skill.

Trivia:

Every other Thursday for the past year, I have done trivia at Pizza Luce with a group of friends. We usually do okay, but not often well enough to place. On February 15th, we gathered for trivia again. I wasn’t going to attend since I was dead tired from working for nine days in a row and nearly 95 hours. It had been a hard day, I was extremely sleep deprived (I had slept about 3 hrs between a 10 hr shift and a shorter 4.5 hr shift and about 3 hrs before the 10 hr shift the day prior). Somehow I pulled myself together enough to show up for trivia with my friends. Well, we actually won first place at trivia- out of 24 teams. I am glad to be friends with a bunch of smarty pants!

Sleeping:

I am going to be honest and say that I have had a very strong drive to sleep this month- though this drive has not always resulted in actual sleep. The drive to sleep has increased since the middle of the month. On my actual birthday, I skipped an activist meeting so that I could get a little extra sleep before my 10 hour shift. I don’t think I actually got any extra sleep, but it was nice to just stay in bed. This week, there have been days were I have done little more than sleep, eat, and work. Like usual, I am working an 8 day stretch of 10 hour shifts, followed by a bonus 9th day with a shorter shift. I have typically had a high tolerance for work and moderate lack of sleep, but lately- not so much. I slept 14 hours on one of my days off last week. I have been taking power naps during my 30 min work break. But, winter has been long. February has been cold and we had three snowstorms in the past week alone. Since I do have some very busy days, I think I am okay with allowing myself to indulge in sleep.

Activism:

Like every month, there is always a schedule of activist events. This month, I have stepped back a little. Nevertheless, some activist highlights of the month include a union steward training and getting elected to the E-board of my union local. Another highlight was a small, but meaningful discussion on feminism and non-binary gender. On February 10th, I participated in a Valentine’s Themed Letters to Prisoners event. It was a fun event where several local activists sent Valentine Cards to prisoners. Socialist Action organized a modest rally for Immigrant Rights. This was followed by our monthly Socialism and Slice discussion group. The discussion group has grown so large that we will have to seek out another venue. I am also excited to help out with HOTDISH Militia’s Bowl-a-thon. Yeah, I will say that this month I was much less engaged in political activism. Usually, I have far more meetings and events to attend. But, one my New Year’s Resolutions was to step back a little.

Overeating:

I ate too much this month. The downside of my birthday month is that I justify going out to eat with the line….Well, it’s my birthday month! I ate a lot of Mexican food. I treated myself to sushi and green tea tempura ice cream. I had Indian food. I really don’t want to think about how much I treated myself in the form of food. It is little wonder that I have ended the month a little chubbier. Now, as a feminist I should be fat positive. I should allow myself to take up space, fully enjoy life, and not sweat my size. That isn’t the case. While I don’t obsess about it and have come to terms with the fact that I won’t be a thin as I was in my 20s, I am not a huge fan of the scale going in an upward direction. On the other hand, I sure did enjoy all that Mexican food. I guess March can be a month of moderation…

Zumba and a Sauna:

I wasn’t as physically active as I would have liked to have been this past month. But, I at least took time to attend a zumba class and take a sauna. Zumba is really a fun way to engage in fitness. As for taking a sauna, I think it feels so primal and rejuvenating.

Hiking:

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to make sure that I hike, bike, run, kayak, etc. 365 miles this year. I don’t think it will be that hard of a task, but it is not something I have ever actively tracked before. Right now, I am behind on my miles. But, February was both cold and snowy. I ended up with fewer miles in February than in frigid January. As of today, I have hiked about 47 miles in February and January combined. Usually, these are pretty mild three mile jaunts. Because I was falling behind this month, I was going to try to do five miles- in a snow storm last week. This did not pan out. It was cold. Snow whipped my face. The wind was wicked. I made it about two miles total. This snow storm was followed by two other snowstorms later in the week. While I should have 59 miles by the end of the month to keep on track, I will likely end the month 10 miles behind.

Birthday Party:

I had a low key birthday party on February 17th. Years ago, in my late 20s, I would host giant, extravagant birthday parties with pinatas and trivia. For the most part, I have smaller, less involved parties in recent years- if anything at all. I already do a lot of planning and preparation for Marxmas, so I have lost the energy to host two large parties so close to one another. But, honestly it was nice to hang out with a few people without a whole lot to do. Jenny hosted an Arbonne Party for her birthday in January. I actually did the same this year- since I wanted the free protein powder (which costs $60 a bag in their catalog). Yep, so I had a product presentation themed party. This was an unusual choice, but it wasn’t bad. We had some snacks, soaked are feet, and listened to a presentation about products that I don’t NEED but somehow felt compelled to buy because well…it’s my birthday. I think that “it’s my birthday” can be a bit of a dangerous mantra- since it has encouraged me to be excessive all month….

Airfare:

I worked on my actual birthday, but one thing that I did on my birthday for myself (aside from sleeping) was book my flight to Romania. I will be visiting Romania in late August, spending some time in Romania, Moldova, Macedonia (with a day trip to Kosovo), and then ending in Iceland before heading home. I am trying to hit a few European countries that I have not yet visited- but I think that all of them will be interesting. I will be gone for about three weeks. I am excited for an adventure in the lands of Ceausescu, Vlad the Impaler, break away semi-autonomous states, the social construction of Alexander the Great, and geothermal wonders.

Black Panther:

Another highlight of the month was seeing Black Panther with Dan. I love Marvel movies, even if they are predictable and cautious. Black Panther was unique in that it was set in Africa with few white characters. It had great costumes, engaging characters, and a story line that wrestled with racism and colonization. Now, I would like to write a longer review. I will say that I wasn’t satisfied with the political conclusion that the best bet is to work within system to uplift the oppressed through charitable institutions. I felt that the character Killmonger had some great lines and was far more politically relateable than a princely and privileged isolationist (or was until the conclusion of the film). Killmonger wanted to arm the oppressed- even though his vision of revolution also involved an expansion of Wakanda as an empire. That is the annoying thing about Magneto/Killmonger type characters is that revolutionary philosophies of liberation are often coupled with authoritarianism/supremacy in comic book movies. There are many visions of how to overthrow systems of oppression and radically alter society- yet so few are represented. It creates a villainous strawman out of radical politics. Oh, and another very annoying aspect of the movie was the fact that the CIA character was a good guy! Come on! The Wakandan characters are very aware of colonization and slavery, but somehow the United States- and the the CIA no less, ends up playing a heroic role. Never mind the assassination of Patrice Lamumba, support of the coup against Kwame Nkrumah, support of Mbutu Sese Seko, assisting in the arrest of Nelson Mandela, fighting MPLA in Angola, supporting the overthrow of Gadaffi in Libya, etc. But this was a Marvel movie and these tend to fetishize secretive organizations (i.e S.H.I.E.L.D) and align the good guys with America. Still, I did enjoy the movie and I don’t want to take away the joy that Africans and African Americans have experienced by seeing positive representations of Africa and Black people. Also, I did enjoy the movie and feel it is one of the better films in the Marvel universe.

Conclusion:

Well, there you go, that was my birthday month. There were some positive things, such as fun times with loved ones, birding, painting, visions of travel, time spent outdoors, trivia, and activism. There were some not as positive aspects of the month, such as over-eating and sleeping too much/too little. Looking back, I think I made the most of my month without exhausting myself trying to zealously seize each day. Yes, there is a limited amount of time in a lifespan. Birthdays are a good reminder of that. But, I guess if from time to time, I want to just spend a whole day in bed or eat Mexican food three days in a row- that’s okay too. It would be cool if I ran 4 miles on my birthday or did one celebratory thing each day of the month- but that would be exhausting. Despite some lows, I think the month had a good balance of fun, friends, work, and hiding from the world.

100 Resolutions for the New Year

H. Bradford

1/30/18

I like making New Year’s Resolutions. In the past few years, I have had about 50 resolutions. I accomplish about half of them. And, to be honest, my New Year’s Resolutions tend to be more like a a giant “to do” list. So, many of the things on the list are things I hope to do over the year. Another portion of items on the list of resolutions are things to track. For instance, last year, I tracked the books that I read, birds that I saw, and political events that I attended. This year, I am going to be even more ambitious and have made a list of 100 New Year’s Resolutions. (I am a little short of 100 in case I think of anything important to add to the list). Some of this requires data tracking. Some is more like a check list. There is no science behind this. I don’t expect that it will make me a better person. Perhaps, it just creates a weird frenzy in my life to check things off or write down data. But, I think it does shape the year and gives me things to think about or plan. Here is my 100 Resolutions for 2018!

Travel to Romania and Moldova: This will be my big trip of the year- in late August. I will visit a few other countries as well on this trip.

Take an additional trip: I am not sure where else I will travel, but I would like to take a mini trip somewhere….

Read 30 Books

Read a Classic Non-fiction (among the 30)

Read a Classic Fiction (among the 30)

Read a socialist feminist book (among the 30)

Continue Ballet Lessons

Attend Yoga Classes

Play Soccer in the Fall or Summer

Take up Fencing Again

Run a 5K

Try Fat Tire Biking

Go to Two New State Parks

Try Paddleboarding

Go Camping Four Times

Go Snowshoeing

Go Skiing

Practice Violin

Study Russian

Study Spanish (so it is easier to travel to Central and South America)

Study Romanian (for my trip)

Find 50 Geocaches

Add 50 New Birds to My Life List

Substitute Teach

Visit the Planetarium

See a Meteor Shower (this did not make my list last year, but was on it the year before)

See the Northern Lights

Create a Painting

Celebrate International Bog Day

Celebrate International Squirrel Day (I already failed at this goal!)

Write a poem about each book I read this year.

Get a Snowy Owl Tattoo

Get an additional tattoo

Take saunas for self care

Plant a tree

Attend Zumba

Do Polynesian dance with my DVD or in a class

Watch a Classic Film

Plant a Free Garden

Attend 50 Political Events

Keep a Food Log

Try a Vegan Challenge (1 week? 1 month? Every Monday?)

Really Clean my Room

Donate 2 bags of clothes

Get rid of one tote bin of belongings

Try to survive one month on the USDA food budget challenge

Try to spent Less than 10% of my income on food (yeah, yeah, I eat out too much…)

Hang out with someone old (someone I haven’t spent time with for a while)

Send Valentine’s Day Cards

Focus on a Fern of the Year: Lady Fern

Focus on a Tree of the Year: birches in general?

Learn to Make Jam

Learn to watercolor

Grow in Domestic Violence advocacy

Grow as a patient educator

Try something new each week

Make a travel album

Start buying for x-mas in July

Do something towards teaching re-licensure

Try a new fitness class

Try a new food

Put more money away for retirement

Buy a kantele (this has been on my list for a long time, but I don’t really need any new hobbies…)

Read the news each day (already failed, so perhaps just try to do it more often!)

Try a new restaurant

Create a podcast

Go Shooting

Take a self defense course

Write an article for S.A.

Write something monthly for the Northern Worker

Take vitamins

Study Finnish (I have to many languages on my list, but we can dream…)

Learn to identify 50 birds by their song

TBD

TBD

TBD

There you go! I am sure I will fail at some of these resolutions. Perhaps others will create new patterns in my life. A few will just continue the trends that I have already started! Overall, I am always hoping to be a healthier, more knowledgeable, broader, more creative, and more traveled person each year! I hope that 2018 is a great year.

Once again, I am trying to write poems about each book that I read. Since I mostly read non-fiction, it can be a bit of a challenge! One of the books that I read in January was Lenin on the Train, by Catherine Merridale. This poem was what I came up with after reading the book. It is about gender as a revolutionary train ride.

The Lenin in Me

By H. Bradford

1/30/18

There is a Lenin inside me,

A man with a sharp mind.

The female body is his train.

Taking him places, carrying that brain to those who will listen

to a program that cuts through

time and space and night,

also like Lenin on the train.

I am on my way to revolution.

I am on my way to change.

The she, the he, and the they will meet at Finland Station.

We are writing what we will say.

In eight short days the world will change.

But, I am content to bide my time.

It is enough to enjoy this ride.

Drawing by Pyotr Vasilievich Vasiliev, Lenin on the Train to Petrograd

Pandemonium Year in Review

H. Bradford

1/25/18

Pandemonium was founded in October, 2016 as a group that discusses issues related to members of the Bi+ community. The group also tries to build a sense of identity and community among the members. Once a month since its founding, Pandemonium has met for “Bi with Pie.” Bi with Pie is a monthly discussion group which tackles issues related to bi+ identities as well as other LGBTQ topics. This is an overview of some of the discussions the group has hosted over the last year as well as some suggested goals for 2018.

January Discussion: Bisexuality and homophobia

In January, we discussed some of the ways in which bisexuals can avoid homophobia and transphobia, but also the realities of biphobia and bi-erasure. For instance, bisexuals should not assert that everyone is actual bi or bi is the natural state of human sexuality, since this negates and erases the experiences of other sexual identities.

February Discussion: Bi Identities-

This discussion provided a brief overview of some of the different identities which fall within the bi+ community. Because we have some new members since this initial discussion, it might be useful to have this discussion again.

March Discussion: Trans in Prison/Letters to Prisoners

In March, Lucas lead a discussion about the oppression of trans individuals in the prison system. Problems faced by trans prisoners include misgendering, dead naming, placement with male prisoners if female or female prisoners if male, lack of access to hormones, lack of access or expensive access to hygiene or beauty products, etc. This discussion was followed by an opportunity to write letters to LGBTQ prisoners.

April Discussion: Bi Poetry

At the April meeting, Lucas shared some of his own poetry as well as the poetry of several famous bisexual poets. The poems were discussed for themes related to bisexuality.

May Discussion: Frida Kahlo and Bisexuality

In May, I did a presentation on Frida Kahlo’s bisexuality, as well as her political beliefs. I discussed the theme of bi-erasure in some media depictions of her.

July Discussion: Intersectionality and LGBT Organizing

There was no Bi with Pie meeting during the month of June. However, we met again in July and had a discussion on the topic of intersectionality. The discussion introduced the topic of intersectionality the way in which LGBT activists have both succeeded and failed to be intersectional.

August: Planning Meeting

In August, we met to plan Bi Visibility Day in September.

September: Poster Making Event:

We did not have a discussion topic in September. Instead, we gathered together to make posters for Bi Visibility Day.

Pride:

We had a very small and unprofessional table at Pride. While our table had a very “do-it-yourself” look, we promoted Bi with Pie, Bi Visibility Day, and sent letters to LGBT prisoners as a solidarity greeting from Pride. At least two dozen people signed the cards to these prisoners.

Bi Visibility Day:

Pandemonium sponsored a very modest Bi Visibility Day picket. The goal of the event was to draw attention to the existence of bisexuals or the bi+ community i.e. increase our visibility. This was the first time we have organized an event like this and it should definitely be on our agenda for 2018. Bi-visibility day is September 23 rd.

October: Domestic Violence and the LGBTQ Community

Jenny led a great discussion on how intimate partner violence/domestic violence impacts the LGBTQ community. She showed us an LGBTQ power and control wheel and discussed gaps in services and research. Since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month it was a timely talk.

December: Bisexuality and Vampires

Our final discussion of 2017 was on the topic of vampires and bisexuality. The discussion was lively and I only made it through half of the research that I had prepared. We discussed various representations of bisexuality in vampire media.

Moving Forward-2018 Goals:

Looking back at 2017, I think that Pandemonium hosted some really great discussions on a wide variety of topics. I also think it was great that we attended Pride and organized a Bi Visibility Day Event. We attracted some new members, such as G, C, and D, though the group remains fairly small. Our best attended discussions were the topics of Frida, vampires, and bisexual poetry. I am sure the group could be larger and more active, but I will admit that as an organizer, I put this group on the back burner. I do not invest as much of my energy into this group as I do other activist projects that I am involved in. I am comfortable with the amount of time I devote to it, as I think it is okay to have a small and low key group. To avoid burning out, I would like to scale the meetings back a bit, or perhaps mix up discussion based meetings with social activities as we enter the new year. Also, because I often go to Pizza Luce for other events, I would like to explore alternative meeting venues and meeting ideas. Here are some suggestions for 2018.

-Have less frequent meetings- perhaps bi-monthly. -Continue to have meetings with an educational discussion focus combined with some social events -Rethink Bi with Pie. Could we do Bi with Bites- and meet elsewhere for appetizers? Or Bi with Baklava and meet at Coney Island for Baklava. Maybe Bi and Beaners? I would like to move away from buying a pizza for the group for my own budgeting… -Try to promote Prism’s Events and better collaborate with Prism -Do a meet and greet with CSS Queer-Straight Alliance to promote our group. -Try to do something for Pansexual Awareness Day on December 8th! -Consider if we wish to do any LGBT prisoner work this year. If we do, we must re-visit if Lucas is welcome to participate in the group since he is the main contact and organizer with local criminal justice work. He has not participated in the group due to concerns about his criminal history -Consider other avenues of bi+ activism -Promote the BECAUSE conference in October -February- no regular meeting, but encourage members to attend feminism beyond the binary -March: Host a discussion on bisexuality and women’s history/feminism for March/Women’s History Month OR revisit last year’s presentation on various bi-sexual identities. -April: Host a discussion or panel on bisexuality and autism for our April meeting- Autism Awareness Day -May: Topic TBA -June: Perhaps a fun social event- like a bi bonfire on Wisconsin Point? -July: Host a birthday party or birthday celebration for Frida Kahlo. We can revisit the presentation I did last year on Frida’s sexuality or invite someone else to present. -August: Topic TBA -September: Organize Bisexual Awareness Day/ Consider a Pride Table (though I will be out of town)

-October: Host a panel or discussion on domestic violence and the LGBTQ community again. Perhaps work with Prism to co-sponsor this event. We could reach out to the Education Coordinator at Safe Haven to see if she would be willing to present this or facilitate the discussion. This is a great way to plug into Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

-November: Topic TBD

-December: Consider not having a meeting due to the busy holiday season.

Feminist Justice League Year in Review

H. Bradford

1/16/18

2017 was a big year for feminism. The election of Donald Trump mobilized feminists towards activism, which was expressed through events such as the Women’s March, International Women’s Day Strike, protests and social media campaigns regarding sexual harassment and assault, forming new groups, and more. It is an exciting time to be a feminist, to be sure. Locally, there has been a flourishing of feminist activities this past year. The Feminist Action Collective emerged in November 2016 as a large, active, vibrate group which has sponsored a variety of successful events over the past year. Locally, we have also seen the re-emergence of the HOTDISH Militia, which began in 2002 but had become inactive over the years. Our group, the Feminist Justice League, was established several years ago during a much less active time in feminist organizing. The renewed interest in feminism creates new challenges and opportunities for our group. The following is an overview of our activism in 2017 as well as our outlook for 2018.

January 2017 Women’s March, Duluth MN:

2017 started off big with several January events. The first was the January 2017 Women’s March. The Feminist Action Collective organized buses to Washington DC, but there was also a local march in Duluth. One of our members, A. attended the march in Washington DC and later reported her experience back to the group at an event we hosted as a local coffee shop. It was an inspiring experience for her, despite some mechanical mishaps experienced by the bus. Several members of the Feminist Justice League participated in the local march in Duluth, which was attended by several thousand people. This year, Feminist Action Collective is organizing an anniversary march. Feminist Justice League is supporting their efforts in a number of ways. Firstly, we have endorsed the event. Secondly, we are going to make some posters for the event on Friday. Thirdly, I have tried to promote their event by obtaining sponsors for them, such as Occupy Duluth, Socialist Action, and Safe Haven. A. and I will also serve as Peace Marshalls at the event.

an image from the Duluth News Tribune- Duluth Women’s March

Glow for Roe:

Feminist Justice League organized Glow for Roe last year, which happened to fall on the SAME day as the Women’s March and Dough for Utero. Although it was an extremely busy day, about two dozen people showed up to hold glow sticks for our glow in the dark protest in support of reproductive rights. We have done this event twice before and this was the most successful year for that particular protest. However, in 2018, we are not hosting a Glow for Roe event. This is because there is already a Women’s March, Dough for Utero, and Party on the Plaza. Glow for Roe was developed when there was far less feminist activism, so moving towards the future, it may not be as necessary as it was in the past. Still, a glow in the dark protest is a fun idea, so perhaps it will return in 2019!

Dough for Utero and Party in the Plaza:

January 2017 also saw Dough for Utero and Party in the Plaza, which were both organized by Hotdish Militia and the Women’s Health Center. Dough for Utero featured $19.73 pizza and beer, raising more money than any previous fundraiser. Party in the Plaza was a vibrant event in which several Feminist Justice League members attended. We contributed to the event by promoting it and providing picket signs. Certainly, 2017 saw more activism related to reproductive rights than there has been in Duluth for a long time!

Valentine Letters to Prisoners

In February, Feminist Justice League co-sponsored a Valentine Letters to Prisoners event with Superior Save the Kids. The goal of the event was to send solidarity cards to prisoners near Valentine’s Day. In Christian traditions, Valentine cards were first exchanged by St. Valentine while he was in a Roman prison, so the theme seemed suiting. The event was attended by several people and was a way for our group to be more intersectional as we tried to connect feminism with issues in the criminal justice system.

A photo of A.C.’s letters last year

Homeless Bill of Rights Letter Writing:

Feminist Justice League hosted a small letter writing event, wherein members gathered at a coffee shop and wrote letters to the editor to various news outlets regarding the passage of the Homeless Bill of Rights. Feminist Justice League is one of the endorsing organizations of the Homeless Bill of Rights. A year later, the homeless bill has not yet passed, protracting this already long struggle to pass a bill ensuring that homeless individuals are treated with dignity.

International Women’s Day Strike:

In March, Feminist Justice League organized a symbolic strike for International Women’s Day. The strike was a protest that lasted for 78 minutes to highlight the pay gap between men and women. At various intervals, we banged on pots to highlight the pay gap between Hispanic women, African American women, Native American women, Pacific Islander women, and women over the age of 55 and men. This event was followed by a panel, wherein several speakers discussed labor issues and gender. The event was successful in that it was covered by several news outlets and was even mentioned in a British Socialist newspaper!

HOTDISH Militia Bowl-a-Thon:

The biggest event that Feminist Justice League participated in April was HOTDISH Militia’s bowl-a-thon. We had a team of about seven people and though I don’t remember the exact number, I believe we raised over $600. Our team dressed as superheroes at the event and won a prize for best costumes. It was a fun event and HOTDISH Militia’s best fundraising event yet! They reached their fundraising goal and were able to obtain matched funds to help low income women access reproductive health care locally.

Graham Garfield Petition:

In May, members of the Feminist Justice League participated in several events related to the Graham Garfield domestic violence case. We were able to develop a successful petition which contributed to his resignation as a Superior City Councilor. However, interest in the case waned over time and although his trial is ongoing, there is little activism around it at this time. Still, I think that the group was able to effectively work towards his resignation and can be proud that we sought to educate the community about myths regarding domestic violence.

Mother’s Day Letters to Prisoners/Film Showing:

During the month of May, Feminist Justice League co-sponsored a film showing about incarcerated mothers with Superior Save the Kids. The group also co-sponsored a mother’s day themed Letters to Prisoners event. By helping to host and support these events, Feminist Justice League hopes to connect feminism with other issues.

Chalk for Choice:

During the summer and fall, Feminist Justice League sponsored Chalk for Choice events on the evening before clinic days at the Women’s Health Center. While these events are often only attended by a few people, our group receives a lot of positive feedback from workers at the WHC. During these events, we draw or write supportive images and messages for the patients and workers who utilize the Women’s Health Center. The events provides us with a creative niche for our activism. Looking at 2018, it should certainly continue these events as they are easy to organize, do not require large numbers of participants, and are a unique way to promote reproductive rights.

40 Days of Choice:

For the past several years, Feminist Justice League has organized events for 40 Days of Choice, which happens each year in September and October in response to the 40 Days of Life. The 40 Days of Life is an international campaign wherein pro-life activists gather outside of abortion clinics and reproductive health centers to pray and protest to end abortion. The Feminist Justice League was actually founded in response to this annual pro-life campaign. This year, as in year’s past, we participated in the event by hosting Friday pro-choice pickets. Some of the pickets were smaller than in year’s past owing to FJL’s dwindling numbers. On the other hand, some were larger owing to the participating of the HOTDISH milia this year. HOTDISH sponsored its own Thursday pickets. Our goal next year should be to increase the numbers at these events by bolstering our own membership, continued collaboration with Hotdish, and improved collaboration with Feminist Action Collective. This year, we also hosted a successful launching party for the 40 Days of Choice, but the success of the event would not have been possible without HOTDISH Milia’s collaboration and WHC’s support.

Feminist Frolics:

Once a month throughout the year, Feminist Justice League hosted events called Feminist Frolics. These events usually do not attract more than four or five people, but are high quality educational opportunities and community building events. This year’s highlights include a citizen science project wherein were learned about women in science and learned how to test the health of a river by examining small fauna such as snails, worms, and insect larvae. We also learned how to geocache and did this while collecting garbage. I researched women and waste management and did a short presentation on that topic for our event. We also learned more about fungi and one of our members, Ar., told us about her experiences gathering and selling mushrooms to local businesses. A few of us also attended a Halloween themed event wherein we hiked to an abandoned cemetery at night and learned about the history of witches and capitalism, based upon my readings on that topic. We have not done a frolic in a few months due to cold weather, but we can consider planning more at our next meeting. My suggestion is that we continued them, but on a more irregular basis in 2018. Personally, I put a great deal of effort into researching these topics and lack the time I once had. However, I think that these events remain viable if we can find others who are willing to research and present the topics. These events remain important because they are an opportunity for learning, connecting to nature, and bonding.

Spark in the Dark:

Following the swarm of sexual harassment and assault cases involving celebrities and politicians, FJL organized a small protest against assault and harassment. The goal was to believe victims, hold public figures accountable, and make ourselves visible. The evening event was attended by about a dozen activists, despite chilly weather. In the end, we lit sparklers to symbolize the spark of social movement organizing around these issues but also light in darkness.

Christmas Cards to Prisoners:

The same day as the Spark in the Dark event, we once again collaborated with Letters to Prisoners/Save the Kids to send Christmas Cards to Prisoners. The event was the best attended Letters to Prisoners event yet. It was hosted at Amazing Grace Cafe and activists at the event were interviewed by a newspaper.

Looking at 2018

Our Challenges and Assets:

As we move into 2018, our biggest challenge by far is that we have a small, active membership. Over the years, we have lost a few people who used to be more active in the group. One of our active members, A., has recently had a child so she will not be as active for a while. Two of our members, C. and An., have young children so they will not be able to participate as much as they would like. Children should not be a barrier to participation and this also shows our weakness in providing child care. Since we are small, it is hard to provide this service. At the same time, perhaps we can think of alternative roles for these members, such as posting online content to our Facebook page. Small membership limits what we can do as an organization but also has a demoralizing effect. I often wonder if I have personally failed as an activist when our numbers are low. Thus, we should brainstorm ways in which we can attract new members. Ideas towards this end might include collaborating with other organizations, tabling at events, putting up fliers more often, and advertising ourselves more on community calendars. I think it is also important to reframe what success looks like and better work with what we have. If interest in feminism is generally increased and other organizations have seen new members, then we should celebrate the overall victory of feminism, even if our organization is small. Further, even a small organization can maximize its impact in the community through collaboration with others.

Despite our low numbers, we do have some assets. I am proud of the many events that our group sponsored and organized last year. We also have some great members with some useful knowledge and skills. Both J. and I work in the field of domestic violence, which I think puts us in a good position to do activism related to this. I also work part time at the WHC, so I think this will help us continue our reproductive rights activism. We have a new member named C, who is smart, knowledgeable of science, and very active in criminal justice activism. A. is a male member and close friend who is an asset to the group because of his long history of local activism, especially his labor activism. We have several members who sometimes attend, but perhaps get spread thin by their own activist schedules. Overall, we often attract low-income and working class activists to our group. We also often attract members who have experienced homelessness, trauma, mental health issues, poverty, violence, etc. I think that we can be proud of ourselves if we continue to be an organization that creates space for those who experience multiple oppressions. While these things can be barriers to activism, it can inform the sorts of issues we work on and perspectives we promote. At the same time, our organization mostly attracts white people. There is no immediate solution to making our group more diverse, but, we should always be mindful of the pitfalls of “White feminism” and seriously consider how the group can tackle racism along with sexism. Sponsoring, promoting, attending, and collaborating with anti-racism activism is one step in that direction.

Finally, several of our key members and most of those who attend our events are anti-capitalist. This can help us create a niche in the feminist movement. Although we are a small group, we can act as a complimentary group to FAC. FAC is a larger group that appeals to a broader group of people. However, based upon their focus on candidate events, female identity, representation in politics and the business community, etc. the group leans towards liberal feminist ideology. Our niche in comparison is that we should try to attract anarchist and socialist feminists or provide space to promote those ideologies. While this ideological focus is less popular, promoting anti-capitalist feminism is a way to differentiate ourselves and what we do. This should not be rigid nor a requirement for participation/membership- but a useful framework for focusing the organization’s tactics and issues. The goal is not to compete with other feminist groups, but to broaden the overall feminist movement through theoretical diversity while collaborating on common causes.

Our Goals:

Based upon the following summary, I suggest the following goals for 2018.

Spark in the Dark-Activist Report

H. Bradford

12/17/17

On December 16th, over a dozen feminists gathered in Duluth to protest sexual misconduct in an event called “Spark in the Dark.” The event was organized by the Feminist Justice League in response to the growing number of public figures that have been accused of sexual harassment and assault. The goal of the action was to draw attention to the ongoing issue, show solidarity with survivors, and embolden victims who remain silent. Those who attended were asked to wear black, as this was symbolic of the silencing, blaming, and disbelief of victims. At the end of the event, protesters lit sparklers, which was representative of the spark needed ignite a social movement.

The chilly December weather may have deterred some activists from participating, but the issue remains important as both major political parties have been mired in sexual scandals. Some political figures, such as Al Franken and John Conyers, have stepped down from their positions. Others, such as Ruben Kihuen and Blake Farenthold, have decided not to seek re-election. Roy Moore, who victimized several underaged women, was narrowly defeated in Alabama’s senate race on account of a higher turn out of Black voters. Despite resignations and losses, it is important to continue to demand accountability for all offenders accused of sexual misconduct, while continuing to support victims. As exemplified by the #MeToo movement, sexual harassment and sexual assault are part of the everyday lives of all women in society and are the result of the unequal position and worth of women within patriarchy. It is critical that the media attention these extensive and high profile sexual misconduct cases has garnered does not fade into apathy or indifference. Instead, feminists should treat this as an opportunity for building a mass movement that seeks to end sexual harassment and assault through accountability of victimizers, as well as mass education, awareness, and changes in the discourse surrounding these issues. Feminists should demand dignity, safety, and corrective actions in all arenas where these behaviors occur. This is why the event was organized. While the event was small, it was organized with the hope that this kind of action might spark future protests, marches, and actions around this issue. In the 1970s, feminists mobilized to take back the night. Today, it is time for feminists to organize to take back their workplaces, schools, streets, households, and all other places where power based harassment, violence, assault, and threats occur.

Fungi and Feminism

H. Bradford

8/12/17

Once a month, the Feminist Justice League hosts a feminist frolic. This month, the goal was to go on a hike to learn more about fungi, edible and otherwise. We asked Ariel, one of our members, if she would be willing to tell us a little about edible fungi, as she forages for fungi and sells them to a local grocery store. As for myself, I undertook the task of trying to connect fungi with feminism for a short presentation on that topic. Connections between these two topics are not commonly made, but almost anything can be connected to feminism. Indeed, fungi can be connected to feminism through an exploration of women’s roles as foragers and food preparers, the connection between fungi and witchcraft, and the contributions women have made to mycology, the science of fungi.

An Introduction to Fungi:

To begin, it is useful to outline some basic information about fungi. Fungi are a diverse group of organisms that consist of everything from yeast in bread and beer, infections like athlete’s foot or ringworm, mushrooms and toadstools, and mold on bread. Most people are probably most familiar with fungi in the form of mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of some fungi. However, this is just a small portion of the diversity of this kingdom. Taxonomy is always changing, but fungi are often considered to be one of five or six kingdoms of organisms, including plants, animals, protists, archaebacteria, fungi, and bacteria. For most of history, fungi was lumped into the plant kingdom and it was not until the 1960s that they were separated into their own category of lifeforms. It might be easy to confuse fungi with plants, due the fact that both grow in soil and tend to be stationary. In actuality, fungi was more closely related to animals and 1.1 billion years ago they shared a common evolutionary ancestor with the animal kingdom (Staughton, 2002). Fungi are similar to animals in that they cannot produce their own food, as plants do through photosynthesis. Rather, they feed on dead and living organisms, breaking them down by excreting enzymes and absorbing nutrients through their cell wall (Fungi-an introduction, 2009). This means that they differ from animals in that they do not ingest their food, rather they absorb it. Another similarity between animals and fungi is that both of them use oxygen in cellular respiration to convert nutrients into energy. That is, both use oxygen and release carbon dioxide as waste, as opposed to plants which use carbon dioxide and release oxygen (Bone, 2011). Yet, fungi are similar to plants in that both have cell walls, although the cell wall of plants is made of cellulose and the cell wall of fungi is made of chitin. Chitin is the same substance that the beaks of squids and the exoskeletons of crustaceans and insects is made of.

Despite the clear differences between plants and fungi, historically, fungi have been lumped together with plants and even today, mycology tends to be lumped within botany departments rather than zoology. While fungi have had a sort of identity crisis over history, they do indeed have a very close relationship to plants. Over 90% of all plants have a mycorrhizal fungal partner. In other words, plants often have fungi that live on or in their roots for the purpose of helping them extract more nutrients from the soil. In exchange, the fungi obtain sugar, which the plant produces. This is why a person often sees mushrooms at the base of trees. Some unusual plants, such as monotropes (more commonly known as Indian Pipe or Ghost Plant), do not produce chlorophyll and depend upon fungi to obtain energy from nearby trees. Almost every plant has fungi living between their cells. In addition, 85% of all plant disease are caused by fungi. In fact, chili peppers evolved their hotness as a defense against fungi (Bone, 2011). Therefore, it is no wonder that plants and fungi are associated with one another.

One of the most interesting thing about fungi is how diverse that kingdom is. While the animal kingdom contains a wide array of organisms including lifeforms as different as horseflies, sea horses, horseshoe crabs, and horses fungi vary even more greatly. Fungi include organisms that reproduce sexually, asexually, and both. This makes them extremely interesting from a sexual standpoint. Unlike animals, they can be one celled or made up of many cells. Subsequently, fungi include such diverse phylums as club fungi, which include mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, and shelf fungi. This is the phylum that most people are probably familiar with. These fungi often have club shaped structures with gills containing spores. Another phylum of fungi are called sac fungi, or fungi which produce spores in tiny sacks. This group includes yeast, truffles, molds, and morels. Another phylla is called zygomycota, which feature sexual and asexual reproduction and include black mold. Finally, there are imperfect fungi, which have unknown methods of reproduction and include penicillium and aspergillus. There are about 1.5 million species of fungi, but only one tenth of these are known to science. Interestingly, the mass of the world’s fungi is far greater than the mass of all of the world’s animals, amounting to about ¼ of the world’s entire biomass (Fungi-an introduction, 2009). Fungi also outnumber plants six to one. Finally, the largest organism on the planet is actually a honey fungus in Oregon which is over 2,400 years old and larger than 1,666 football fields (Bone, 2011). Truly, fungi among the most fascinating forms of life on the planet.

Mushrooms, Women, and Foraging:

For most of history, fungi were not given much attention as a unique group of organisms. Thus, most early humans would have understood fungi mostly through the sexual phase or the fruiting body of a mushroom (Garibay-Orijel, Ramírez-Terrazo, and Ordaz-Velázquez, 2012). Humanity’s earliest encounters with fungi would have been with mushrooms and shelf fungi. Humans lived as hunters and gatherers, in small communities that foraged for their food, for 190,000 of our 200,000 years as modern humans. Some human societies continue to live this way. For most of human history, humans foraged for fungi, for food, medicine, ritual, dyes, etc. However, mushroom foraging is confounded by the fact that mushrooms may appear only at certain times of the year or under certain conditions. They may not appear in the same place each year, making them harder to forage than plants. Mushroom foraging is also made difficult by the fact that some mushrooms are extremely toxic, which means that misidentification or experimentation could result in illness or death. Around 2,800 species of mushrooms are used today by humans. Much of the mushroom foraging in the world is done by women (Garibay-Orijel, Ramírez-Terrazo, and Ordaz-Velázquez, 2012). This comes a little surprise, as in a study of 175 modern hunter-gatherer societies, women provided four fifths of the food. According to Crane’s research (2000) the food that was typically gathered by men was further away and harder to obtain. Today, in Mexico, Bahrain, Guatemala, Guyana, Nigeria, Zaire, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Russia, mushroom foraging is largely women’s work. However, in Poland and Switzerland, is is more often done by men. In some tropical areas, women collect mushrooms closest to their homes whereas men collect mushrooms that are deeper in the forest (Garibay-Orijel, Ramírez-Terrazo, & Ordaz-Velázquez, 2012). This is not unlike the gender dynamics of collecting honey and may reflect the importance of women in society for their reproductive capacity (Crane, 2000). In Guyana, men pick up mushrooms that they find incidentally on hunting trips, whereas women engage in active, premeditated mushroom collecting. Beyond this, there are gendered ways in which mushrooms are collected, with men tending to be solitary foragers who search out more valuable and hard to find mushrooms and women collecting them together and in more energy efficient locations. Mushrooms that are collected for ritual purposes are often done by both genders. Mazatec healers in Mexico can be women or men and Maria Sabina was an important informant of mushroom rituals to ethnographers (Garibay-Orijel, Ramírez-Terrazo, and Ordaz-Velázquez (2012).

While it seems that among many hunting and gathering cultural groups women play an important role in obtaining mushrooms, this is not the experience in industrial United States. Bone (2011) found that many of the people she encountered while foraging for mushrooms were men. Professional mushroom foragers, who often travelled the country in search of various mushrooms, were often men. In particular, men from Mexico and Southeast Asia made a living by foraging and selling mushrooms. At the same time, even amateur or more casual mushroom foragers were men. When she sought to learn more about foraging mushrooms, it was always men who shared their expertise. She also noticed a certain machismo among mushroom foragers, as some took risks by eating mushrooms that were known to be toxic or have negative health effects. Bone (2011) was focused on developing her knowledge of mycology and experiencing fungi from the perspective of a foodie. Her book, Mycophilia, does not examine the gender dynamics of mushroom foraging at any length. However, it does very clearly support the idea that in the United States, mushroom science, foraging, commercial production, and preparation are all largely dominated by men. This begs the question of why mushrooms exist so differently from the women centered foraging that is prevalent elsewhere in the world and presumably elsewhere in history.

There may be a few explanations for their phenomenon. For instance, until the 1600s in France, mushroom foraging was women’s work. However, with the scientific revolution, mushrooming became a men’s activity as men began to monopolize the science of mycology (Dugan, 2008). The shift from mushroom foraging as women’s work to men’s work represents a shift of the power of behind which knowledge is given privilege in society. As men took control of institutions of learning, medicine, publishing, science, etc. and systematized scientific knowledge, the folk knowledge of women, but also poor people, indigenous people, criminals, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups was denigrated, ignored, or suppressed. This might explain why according to Dugan (2008) mushroom collecting was mainly conducted by women in the United States until the 19th century. In was during the 19th century in the United States that women’s knowledge of childbirth, medicine, and the natural world in general was suppressed by emergent medical and professional institutions. As this knowledge was professionalized and monopolized, the knowledge of men was empowered and given social value at the expense of women. Long before the advent of science, many groups of people developed the a body of knowledge about mushrooms that scientists would only later rediscover. For instance, Russian peasants had a deep knowledge of mushrooms and some of the common names for these mushrooms were associated with the tree that the mushrooms grew near. Europeans were latecomers to mushroom identification and even Darwin was indifferent to fungi when writing about evolution. However, the Mayans developed their own system of classifying mushrooms, as did the Chinese. Chen Jen-yu’s Mycoflora, written in 1245, proposed 12 types of mushrooms (Dugan, 2008). In all, this should illustrate that humans have had thousands of years of interactions with fungi and through use and observation developed a body of knowledge. Some of this knowledge was dismissed or overlooked on racist, sexist, and classist grounds.

Mushroom hunting- a painting by Bernardina Midderigh Bokhorst

The ability of women to forage for mushrooms is also challenged by capitalism. Capitalism negatively impacts women more than men, because women are oppressed as workers and on account of their gender in capitalism. The oppression of women include the being paid less than men, doing more unpaid labor in the home, experiencing sexual harassment and sexual assault, having limited reproductive freedom, enjoying less political representation, having less social legitimacy, and a myriad of other expressions of oppression. Thus, at least on the amateur end of mushroom collecting, women may not be as involved because of the ways in which capitalism and patriarchy shape women’s relationship to nature. Within the United States, time in nature is usually associated with leisure, which women have less of due to spending more time with care work and household work. Women are often also economically dependent upon men and make less money than them, which may mean that taking up hobbies and traveling around to pursue them is a greater economic burden. Within the context of societies which are less developed and women continue to forage for mushrooms, women have a harder time obtaining wage labor, surviving on lower wages, and supporting their families. In some areas of the world, foraging and selling mushrooms to middle men is an important way that widows and single mothers generate income for themselves. Historically, women sold vegetables and mushrooms in markets in Europe. This tradition conditions in Eastern European countries like Latvia, Russia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic, where women are often the source of mushrooms in markets (Garibay-Orijel, Ramírez-Terrazo, and Ordaz-Velázquez, 2012). Therefore, mushroom foraging is an important source of income to women. Because it is work that is outside of the formal economy, they are more vulnerable to difficult labor conditions. And, because of the environmental problems wrought by more developed countries in the context of capitalism, women are vulnerable as the environment they depend upon for livelihood is threatened. For instance, women in Puebla Mexico must obtain permits to go into the forest and collect mushrooms. In other places, such as Burundi, logging has diminished the abundance of mushrooms. Another challenge is other ecological issues, such as acid rain and soil nitrification in Europe. Mushroom collectors are often independent workers, so they are not afforded health or safety benefits (Garibay-Orijel, Ramírez-Terrazo, and Ordaz-Velázquez, 2012). Indeed, mushroom yields around the world have decreased over the years, perhaps as a result of climate change.

Women and Food:

Closely related to foraging, women are engaged in cooking and eating fungi. The preparation of mushrooms, including cooking and storing, is mostly done by women around the world (Garibay-Orijel, Ramírez-Terrazo, and Ordaz-Velázquez,2012). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in an average day, American women spend about twice as much time as men preparing food and drinks. In an average day, 70% of women reported preparing food compared to 43% of men. This means that women not only do more food preparation than men, more women are engaged in this activity than men (Charts by Topic: Household activities, 2016). This should come as little surprise to feminists, who have long articulated that women do more unpaid household labor than men. This work is often devalued, taken advantage of, and taken for granted as part of the normal gender roles and relationship between men and women. Although women do more unpaid cooking, men dominate professional cooking. Women and men attend culinary school in equal proportions, but most celebrity chefs and paid culinary professionals are men. Men also outnumber women 7 to 3 at more prestigious culinary schools and when women do go into culinary arts, they are disproportionately represented upon baking and pastry programs (Jones, 2009). For instance, at B.A program in pastries at the American Culinary Institute is made up of 86% women (Tanner 2010). Both of these trends represent how “women’s work” is undervalued in society. At culinary schools, pastry sections are called the “pink ghetto” or “pink section” because they are dominated by women. Food and work are both gendered in society. Baking and desserts are associated with femininity (Brones, 2015). This relationship to cooking also creates a special relationship to fungi, even if this relationship is not immediately obvious.

The first relationship to fungi is the relationship between women and yeast. To begin, bread of some kind or another has been eaten by humans for at least 30,000 years. But, early breads were unleavened flat breads which were made from ingredients other than grains. The first recorded discovery of yeast is from Ancient Egypt, where yeast was used to leaven bread and make beer 6000 years ago. No one knows how yeast was discovered. It may have been floating in the air and landed in some bread, resulting in lighter, fluffier bread. Or, it is possible that yeast entered bread by adding ale to it instead of water. In any event, the discovery of yeast necessarily coincided with several other developments in human history. First of all, it arose out of settled societies which domesticated and grew grains. Grains were domesticated by ancient farming civilizations about 8000 years ago. But, for most of human history, people foraged for their food. Settled agriculture allowed for population growth, the birth of cities, the invention of written languages, private property, and social stratification. It also is considered to be the beginning of patriarchy, as with the invention of private property, monogamy and the associated control of women was ensured the transmission of property through sons. Settled agricultural societies were possible because of a surplus of food. This surplus of food also allowed for the creation of professions, thus, in Egypt, there were professional bakers, herders, teachers, doctors, scribes, etc. Egyptian art depicts both men and women engaged in bread making. However, it is more likely that men were involved in the actual profession of bread making or baking, while women made bread in the home or as supporters. This gendered dynamic continued through time. For instance, in Medieval Europe, women prepared food for their families or homes, whereas men were professional breadmakers in guilds. In both examples, the work of women was essential the same, but not given the same social value. So, although women are more likely to work with yeast or for that matter cook with any other fungi, it is not seen as work that matters in the same way professional culinary work matters.

While women have a close relationship to food and by extension, fungi as a food, due to their role as a cook for their families, this often goes unnoticed or unheralded. Despite gender inequalities, women managed to influence society through cuisine. For instance, countries can roughly be divided into mycophobic and mycophilliac depending upon their relationship to mushrooms. France is viewed as a mycophiliac culture, with many recipes calling for mushrooms and a history of foraging for mushrooms. It was largely through women that this French passion for mushrooms spread to other countries. For instance, Hannah Glasse wrote an English cookbook in 1747 which drew from French cuisine and included 110 mushroom recipes called the Art of Cookery Made Easy. Eliza Action’s cookbook Modern Cookery for Private Families (1845) and Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861) also included dozens of mushroom recipes. Cookbooks focused on the historical cuisine of the British isles tended to have few mushroom recipes. The first American cookbook, by Amelia Simmons in 1796, does not feature any mushroom recipes. But, by the 1800s, various cookbooks featured mushroom dishes. Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, introduced in 1934, popularized mushrooms as part of American casserole cuisine. And, one of the most popular American cookbooks of the 20th century, Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) included dozens of mushroom recipes. Irma Rambauer’s book The Joy of Cooking included 30 recipes with mushrooms (Bertelsen, 2013 ). In each of these examples, women were able to influence culture by working within the traditional social space offered to women. The household has traditionally been viewed as the sphere of influence of women. Books about cooking, by women for women, is a way that women exerted power within the confines of tradition. In doing so, in a small way, these cultures were changed. Today, mushrooms consumption has exploded. The global export value of mushrooms was almost 1.75 billion dollars in 2010, compared to 250 million dollars in 1990 and negligible in 1970.

Another way in which women relate to fungi is through the ways that food is gendered in society. Because mushrooms are a viewed as a vegetable and something healthy, one might assume that women eat more mushrooms than men. After all, women are told to watch their weight, monitor their food intake, and make healthy food choices. At the same time, masculinity is connected to meat eating. Eating mushrooms seems to be something lowly and feminine. There is even a racial and ethnic component to eating mushrooms, as they are associated with mycophilliac cultures such as India, China, Japan, and Russia. Surprisingly, men and women in the United States actually eat roughly the same amount of mushrooms each year. According to the USDA, women consume about 8% more fresh mushrooms then men, but men are more likely to eat processed mushrooms. As a whole, men ate about 49% of all mushrooms produced in the United States, whereas women ate about 51% (Lucier, Allhouse, and Lin, 2003). Yet, this isn’t to argue that gender does not shape mushroom consumption. In Mycophilia, Eugenia Bone, a food writer from New York, expressed disdain when she attended a Midwest mushroom foraging event and the men in attendance planned on battering their mushrooms or putting them on steaks (Bone, 2011). In this example, gender, geography, and class intersected to generate a different sense of taste from the Midwestern men with less social capital. In another example, the white truffle is the most expensive food in the world, at $3000 per pound (Bone, 2011). However, men with power are more likely to obtain and ingest truffles. For instance, a 3.3 pound truffle was auctioned for $330,000 to a billionaire named Stanley Ho, a Macau casino owner. The truffle itself was discovered by an Italian truffle hunter and his father, along with their dog. Gordon Wu, a property tycoon from Hong Kong purchased two truffles at an auction for 125,000 euros. An anonymous Chinese writer purchased a truffle for $120,000 at an auction. Globally, women and children are more likely to be among the world’s poor and less represented among the super wealthy. The truffle’s value is because it is hard to successfully commercially cultivate, rare, and labor intensive. At the same time, some its value is more symbolic than material, as truffles are abundant in China, where labor is cheap enough (i.e exploited) that they are raked from the earth by humans rather than trained dogs and pigs. But, these black truffles are viewed as inferior to European black truffles. In this sense, when food is associated with power and privilege, women are less likely to partake in this indulgence. So, while men and women may eat equal amounts of mushrooms, how they are eaten may differ. I would hypothesize that men eat them more often on pizza, battered, on burgers, or on steaks and women in salads and as a meat substitute. Class certainly shapes mushroom consumption as well, not only in access to elite foods like truffles, but in consumption of mushrooms in general. Bone (2011) noted that the biggest consumers of mushrooms were those who were 350% above the poverty line.

(image stolen from National Geographic…)

Mushrooms, Women, and Witchcraft

Another way in which mushrooms have been associated with women is through medicine and witchcraft. In Europe, mushrooms have often been associated with mushiness and evil. French words for mushrooms translate to eggs of the devil, devil’s paintbrush, and toad bread. Toadstool and toad hat are names derived from Danish mushrooms. In Estonia, Fulgio septica, a large yellow slime mold is called “Shit of a Witch (Dugan, 2008).” An edible yellow fungus commonly found on dead branches is called “Witches butter.” Western Europe and the British Isles in particular associated mushrooms with witchcraft (Bertelsen, 2013). In Russia, Baba Yaga is associated with magical tree mushrooms. In one story she spares the life of a hedgehog that is eating a mushroom, under the understanding that the hedgehog will become a boy and serve her. She is also accompanied by spirits that live under mushrooms. In Italy, there is a story of a witch who disguised herself as a mushroom to figure out who is stealing her cabbages. Mushrooms have been associated with fairies and in 1599, the word fairy ring described, which is a ring of mushroom left behind by dancing fairies. In Germany, fairy rings were known as Hexen rings, where witches would dance in a circle on Walpurgis night or the night before May Day (Dugan, 2008). Plant diseases caused by fungi were sometimes believed to be caused by witches, as exemplified by a decree by Pope Innocent the VIII who noted that witches cause crop failure. Witches were also blamed for the poisoning of cattle, which itself was often the cause of grain fungi. Witches were believed to use fungi in herbalism, and that least Inquisition documents indicate the beliefs that witches used puffballs in potions in Basque country, Amanita Muscaria is known as “Witches mushroom” in Austria, and witches in Portugal used a hallucinogenic mushroom called Panaeolus papilionaceus. There is also a Finnish belief that if someone is bothered by a kobald like creature, a certain species of mushroom was fried in tar, salt, and sulfur, then beaten, and the woman who controls the kobald would appear to release the creature. In the Balkans, dried mushrooms were used to ward of witches by placing them in the windowsill (Dugan, 2008). It seems that mushrooms have been associated with witches, mischief, powerful women, and misfortune. Though, there are some exceptions. For example, in China, the lingzhi mushroom or mushroom of immortality, was associated with Kuan Yin, the goddess of healing and mercy (Bertelsen, 2013).

(Witches Butter Fungus- Image from Birds and Blooms)

There may be some actual connections between witchcraft and fungi. For instance, there is a connection between ergotism and witch trials. Ergotism is caused by the grain fungi, Claviceps purpurea. The fungus colonizes cereal crops, producing nectar like droplets containing spores. The disease is called ergot, the French word for spur, due to the rooster spur like shape of the fungus on the infected plant. In medieval times, up to 30% of the harvested grain was actually fungus, due to wet weather conditions. When humans or animals ingest the fungus many symptoms can arise. The infected can feel intense heat over their body and lose blood flow to their extremities, causing the limbs to rot and fall off. This condition was called St. Anthony’s Fire due to these symptoms. The alkaloids produced by the fungus can also cause vomiting, diarrhea, the sensation of ants on the body, twitching, hallucinations, seizures, and distortions of the limbs. Ergotism outbreaks occurred through the 1800s. Peasants were vulnerable as they had to eat lower quality grain or could not waste the diseased grain. Children were particularly vulnerable with 56% mortality in some outbreaks. Historians such as Mary Matossian have hypothesized that witch trials and bewitching may have actually been the result of ergotism. She argued that most witch trials happened in river valleys in southwest Germany and south east France, where cool and wet conditions would have promoted fungal growth. Both places grew rye and peasants in the area would have consumed up to three and a half pounds of bread a day. There was only one witch trials in Ireland, where grain was not grown as much. Trials for witches often happened in the fall or winter following wet years. Even the Salem Witch Trial followed this pattern as it occurred after a cool spring. The symptoms reported in the witch trials were similar to ergotism and the fact that children reported these symptoms is also consistent with the fact that children are more vulnerable to the effects of ergotism. It is interesting to note that in studying ergot grain fungi, Albert Hofman developed LSD (Hudler, 2000). In any event, it is possible that outbreaks of ergotism were blamed on witches and a catalyst for witch hunts.

(A vintage Halloween postcard featuring a costumed witch with fungi)

Beyond this association with witch trials, it is useful to dissect what a witch is. A witch is symbolic for a women with power and knowledge. For thousands of years, humans obtained an immense amount of knowledge from the natural world in terms of edible foods, useful medicines, dyes, animal movements, etc. Because women had an important role in gathering foods, they had special knowledge. Further, prior to the invention of patriarchy, women likely had important roles as religious or spiritual leaders, healers, and religions with goddesses. Over time, with changes in social structures and the introduction of Christianity, the role of women was diminished and their knowledge was viewed as threatening and connected to paganism. In this way, the idea of a witch is a way to diminish and persecute the traditional knowledge and roles of women. Witches may be associated with mushrooms because of how mushrooms were used in healing and rituals. Indeed, some fungi have healing properties. Mushrooms are valued in Chinese cuisine, culture, and medicine. Chinese medicine includes 100 species of mushrooms, including the wood ear mushroom which was eaten for its perceived improvement to circulation and breathing. The health effects of mushrooms are only recently being discovered in the West. Mushrooms contain polysaccharides, which boost the immune system and can be a source of protein, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, copper, and selenium. Chanterelle mushrooms are 11 to 24% protein. In contrast, the average potato contains 3.9% protein. Mushrooms also secrete antibiotics (Bertelsen, 2013). The most famous fungal cure is penicllin, but fungi are used in many modern medicines. Beano is made with the fungi Aspergillis niger, which digests methane and in turn relieves flatulence. Lovastatin and Pravastatin are both derived from fungi and used to treat high cholesterol. Cyclosporin comes from a fungus and is used to suppresses the immune system for organ transplants. Shiitake mushrooms may have cancer fighting properties (Hudler, 2000). Gypsy mushroom may be effective against herpes, the steroids used in birth control come from fungi, turkey tail mushroom may be a treatment against hepatitis C, and fomitopsis officinalis has been used to treat tuberculosis and e-coli. Midwives in Germany and Italy used ergot, the deadly grain fungus, to induce labor (Bone, 2011). Mold was used by Chinese, Ancient Egyptians, and French to treat wounds (Hudler, 2000). Of course, the benefits of fungi should not be overstated. They may be hard to digest due to their chitin cell wall. Some fungi are deadly. Designating fungi as a superfood is a marketing ploy to sell more mushrooms. However, the healing properties of many mushrooms may mean that witches were associated with mushrooms because healers traditionally used mushrooms as medicine. By associating healing with evil and witchcraft, women’s knowledge, experience, and power was de-legitimized. At the same time, through witch hunts and trial, women themselves were terrorized with violence and the threat of violence as a form of social control.

Women and Mycology

It should be clear that one of the themes related to women and fungi relates to the value of the knowledge and work of women in society. It is suiting then that the final point is how women have contributed to the science of mycology. In this feminist narrative of history, women have probably been closely connected to fungi for most of human history as foragers for food and as healers. With the end of hunting and gathering societies in many parts of the world, women took on new, but subservient roles in society. Still, women continued to be connected to fungi through their preparation of food and role as caregivers, even if this labor was not given social importance. This final segment of history is about women struggling to assert themselves in male dominated science. Outside of the realm of formal science, women are often responsible for passing down knowledge of mushrooms to their children. Even the science of mycology depending upon the knowledge of women. For instance, Carolus Clusius and Franciscus van Sterbeeck, who lived in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, respectively were two of the the first pioneers in mycology. These men relied upon the knowledge of wise women, known as herb wives, to obtain information about mushrooms (Garibay-Orijel, Ramírez-Terrazo, and Ordaz-Velázquez, 2012). It is tragically ironic that when men were developing science based upon the knowledge of women, these very same women were persecuted as witches for their knowledge of nature.

Later in history, Mary Elizabeth Banning was a pioneer in mycology who sought to identify mushrooms in the 1800s (Bertelsen, 2013). She identified 23 new species of fungi and completed one of the first guides to mushrooms of the New World. She worked as a teacher to support her mother and sisters after her father died, but found time to pursue mycology, then associated with botany. Men dominated professional botany, but women were sometimes amateur botanists. For 20 years, she studied the mushrooms of her home state of Maryland at a time when there was only one book on American fungi. She never earned money or recognition and was often viewed as a lunatic by those outside of the scientific community. She did however correspond by mail with various scientists (Pugliosi, 2016). Her life represents several barriers for women who wish to pursue science. For one, she was burdened with care work for her family. Her mushrooming adventures were limited by the constraints of caring for her family. At the same time, her work was stymied by the fact that she also had to be a wage laborer as a teacher. Her “hobby” as a scientist was an unpaid third shift. While she produced useful information, she never published it out of lack of confidence and her outsider status to scientific institutions.

(An illustration by Mary Elizabeth Banning)

In a similar but less tragic example, Beatrix Potter was interested in mycology and painted hundreds of scientifically accurate portraits of fungi. She studied fungi under a microscope and presented a paper on fungal spores at the Linnean Society of London. She began creating watercolor paintings of mushrooms at the age of 20 and sent her paintings to the naturalist, Charles McIntosh. In turn, McIntosh gave her scientific advice and sent her specimens to paint. Beatrix Potter also began studying lichens, which she wrongly believed were fungi rather than a symbiotic relationship between fungi, algae, and bacteria. The mycologist, George Murray, rebuffed her, both for the position on lichen and her earlier work on spore germination, which he said had already been studied in Germany decades earlier. Her paper was never published and she was told to make revisions. Female students were not accepted into the society until 1905 and she was unable to present the research herself. Her biggest contribution to mycology was her illustrations, which were used for fungi identification (Flemming, 2016). Potter went on to achieve fame as a children’s book author and illustrator, but her scientific endeavors largely went unnoticed in history. Again, she was shut out of a world controlled by men and men mediated her access and legitimacy within science.

(Mushroom watercolor painting by Beatrix Potter)

With successes of the early women’s rights movement and other social movements, the social space within science slowly expanded for women. In 1950, Elizabeth Hazen and Rachel Fuller Brown discovered Nystatin while trying to isolate antibiotics from Strepomyces noursei (Hudler, 2000). Nystatin was one of the first anti-fungal drugs and is used to treat various Candida infections such as diaper rash, yeast infections, and thrush. Both scientists worked together for the New York Department of Health and went on to develop two antibiotics. Developing anti-fungal drugs is particularly challenging because, as it was noted earlier, fungi are closely related to animals. This makes fungal infections harder to fight than bacterial infections. Bacteria are simpler organisms, with a cell wall but not the complex cellular structures of animals and fungi. This makes it easier to destroy bacteria. Drugs developed to fight fungal infections may attack healthy human cells, as they are more similar (Staughton, 2002).

Another contribution to mycology was the discovery of the cause of Dutch Elm Disease, a fungus that destroyed elm trees in Europe and the U.S.. The cause of this disease was discovered by a team of five female Dutch scientists (Hudler, 2000). The source of the devastating tree disease was uncovered in 1921 by a team, lead by Johanna Westerdjik. Westerdjik was a plant pathologist and the first female professor in the Netherlands. She wrote over 70 papers on mycology and plant diseases and supervised over 55 Phd students, half of whom were women. It was her student, Marie Beatriz Schwartz who isolated the fungus infecting elms and another student, Christine Johanna Buisman who developed Dutch Elm Disease resistant elms. The project that she started continued until the 1990s.

“Moldy Mary” was another contributor to mycology. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin after observing mold attacking bacteria in a petri dish. He hired a woman nicknamed “Moldy Mary” to collect moldy produce so the mold could be studied. Her real name was Mary Hunt and she was a young lab assistant. The molds that Hunt found were tested to determine if they were penicillin. Some of the cantaloupes she collected indeed contained a culture of Penicillium chrysogenum and many modern strains used in modern penicillin come from her moldy melon (Hudler, 2000). Another contributor to knowledge about fungi was Valentina Wasson. Unfortunately, her husband, R. Gordon Wasson is more famous than she is for his research into the cultural relationship between people and mushrooms. However, he was struck by the cultural difference between them when on their honeymoon, Valentina, a Russian, began collecting mushrooms. He was terrified that they were toxic, a reaction that highlighted a difference between his American upbringing and her Russian upbringing and how that shaped their relationship to mushrooms. The incident inspired the couple to research these cultural differences together and they authored Mushrooms, Russia and History in 1957. They went on to travel to Mexico where they studied the relationship to mushrooms among indigenous people and went on to introduce psychoactive mushrooms to a mass American audience through Life magazine (Hudler, 2000). Unfortunately, this attracted droves of Western visitors to the Mazatec community and especially to Maria Sabina, who was interviewed in their book. Maria was investigated by the Mexican police for selling drugs to foreigners and had her house burned down. Thus, while they examined cultural differences in the relationship between cultures and mushrooms, their work had a negative impact on indigenous people of Mexico. Finally, as one last tidbit of mycological history, all button mushrooms, the mushrooms commonly used in pizza, salads, canned mushrooms, and cream of mushroom soup all come from a spore discovered by the Dutch scientist Gerda Fritsche in 1980 (Bone, 2011).

A depiction of “Moldy Mary”

While women have made contributions to mycology over time, gender inequality in mycology persists today. There are two times as many male members of the American Mycological Society as there are females. Only 13% of the presidents of the MSA (founded in 1932) have been female, starting with Marie Farr in 1980. MSA secretaries have been consecutively female since 1991, but treasurers have historically been men. Various MSA awards have also gone disproportionately to men, although female students have won travel grants in greater proportion to their male counterparts. The majority of published articles in Mycologia are written by men (Branco and Vellinga, 2015). Mycology is not unique among the sciences. The gender inequality within mycology is pretty comparable to similar sciences such as botany, ecology, and lichenology. It begs the question of why women do not enter the sciences or when they do, they are not as active in leadership roles.

Oddly enough, I wanted to be a botanist when I was a kid. I even went through a period of time in the 5th grade when I wanted to be a mycologist. I attended science camp and continued to be interested in science through high school. However, I think a deterrent for me and science was a lack of confidence and a fear of math. Low self-esteem is pretty common among girl. There are varying statistics on the occurrence of low self esteem, but if one believes the statistics put forth by Dove’s Self Esteem fund, as many as seven in ten girls believe they are somehow deficient. If girls indeed believe they are not smart enough or capable enough, they may be deterred from science. And, if they do enter the sciences, they still must contend with the social expectations of women, such as having a family, doing research, doing unpaid labor at home, etc. This cuts into time spent for research or going to conferences and limits the ability to become leaders in their field. They may also face sexism and sexual harassment in their work environment, like many women do. Finally, as it has already been outlined, scientific institutions have not been welcoming to women in the past and have suppressed the knowledge of women. Rationality itself is associated with masculinity, whereas femininity associated with emotions. But, rather than viewing one as inferior or that reason and feeling are opposed to each other, they are instead, interconnected. The drive to study the natural world, interest in research, dedication to a subject, and passion for science all come from an emotional place.

Conclusion:

I am certainly not a scientist, but I hope that the presentation and accompanying hike provided a few insights about fungi. Personally, I find fungi pretty fascinating and hope to learn more about them in the future. That is the goal of feminist frolics, to get together, share knowledge, and hopefully open the door to future learning. For thousands of years, the knowledge and experiences of women have not been valued. I think that learning together and sharing builds confidence, community, and self-efficacy. It is also a way to find a place in nature, science, and history. Hopefully you will join the Feminist Justice League in future feminist frolics. I think you will find we are a bunch of fun gals and fungi!